Voices from the Edge

About the program …

Community dialogue is important. At 8am every Thursday Voices from the Edge lends a KBOO microphone to informed guests you might not hear anywhere else. With an hour to invest, the call-in format engages listeners in meaningful conversations about crucial issues like racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice and politics on local, state and national levels. Join lively discussions about concerns that are important to you and our community. Together we’ll make Oregon and our nation a better place for a larger number of those living here.

About the host …

Jo Ann Hardesty is Principal Partner at Consult Hardesty. She serves as a subject matter expert on a myriad of issues and is available as a speaker, facilitator and campaign planner. A long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice, Jo Ann was three times elected to the Oregon legislature and for many years Executive Director of Oregon Action. She’s been called on by the City of Portland to help re-write the City Charter and organizes those on the downside of power to pursue their interests from the local to the federal level. She is particularly committed to leadership development and in holding those in power accountable.

Join the conversation …

Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

Join Dr. Rev. T. Allen Bethel & Dr. Rev. Leroy Haynes as we get an update on the U.S. Department of Justice Investigation of Portland Police and the implementation of the settlement agreement. We will also discuss the new activism aimed at holding police accountable for shooting and/or killing unarmed community members. We will discuss an upcoming prayer vigil scheduled for this Saturday December 20, 2014 starting with a youth march from 2:00PM-4:00PM and the community A Cry for Justice prayer vigil at 4PM. Rev. Haynes & Rev. Bethel are co-chairs of the AMA Coalition for Justice & Police Reform.

Lisa Loving guest hosts. She speaks with Stephen Hanks about his new venture - a walking tour in downtown Portland showcasing Portland's early African American citizens who came to Portland between 1850-1899! This is a forgotten chapter in Portland's history - people of color who were freed from slavery who came to Portland, Oregon in search for Freedom, Independence, Community, and Economic opportunity.

Host Jo Ann Hardesty speaks with Kenny Palurintano organizer of the 2nd Annual Million Mask March to collect winter supplies for R2D2 at 8:00AM. And at 8:30 her guest is investigative reporter Greg Palast on voter disenfranchisement.

Host Jo Ann Hardesty speaks with investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, who won a Pulitzer Prize while at The New York Times, teaches business, tax and property law of the ancient world at the Syracuse University College of Law. He is the best-selling author of “Perfectly Legal,” “Free Lunch” and “The Fine Print” and editor of the new anthology “Divided: The Perils of Our Growing Inequality.”

Coffee, Tea and VOE: A talk with Coffee Party PDX's Kristy Alberty and Common Cause Oregon's Nate Gulley

The Tea Party has captured the imagination of America's media industry if not the American people, lending it clout that far surpasses its numbers. Tea Party pressure has sent nervous Republican incumbents like Senator John McCain even more to the right. The Tea Party, however, remains a movement remains at heart a movement of negation: no taxes, no immigrants, no federal government. With their "Don't Tread on Me" flags and Obama-Hitler anologies, Tea Party activists have helped accelerate the decline of civil political discourse.

The Coffee Party was founded this year as a way to reverse these trends that are eroding American's desire to be politically engaged and bringing the wheels of government to a halt. The party declares itself a non-partisan movement that believes government is not the enemy and that all Americans need to be engaged in the democratic process in order for our institutions to meet the challenges the nation faces.

This week on Voices from the Edge, Dave talks with Coffee Party PDX Coordinator Kristy Alberty about what the Coffee Party is trying to achieve nationally as well as in Oregon. Alberty is a former board president of the Southern Oregon Chapter of Oregon Action, a community organizer on the "No on 36" campaign and a freelance writer for Indian Country Today. Also joining the conversation will be Nate Gully, Campaign Finance Reform organizer for Common Cause Oregon. Gulley is working with the Coffee Party and other local groups for the renewal of Portland's Voter-Owned Elections which will go before voters in November.

Coffee Party PDX will be tabling at a May 28 screening of Casino Jack (Jack Abramoff) at Cinema 21. For more information, go to "Join the Coffee Party Movement in Portland" on Facebook.

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a freelance journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years.

Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and discussion of issues important to you. Support programming like Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann Bowman and Dave Mazza every Thursday morning as they bring you informative guests and lively discussions about the issues that are important to you and your community. Every week, Voices from the Edge provides KBOO listeners a place to engage in meaningful talk about racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice, local and national politics, and other crucial issues of the day. Jo Ann and Dave bring you guests you won’t hear on other talk radio programs and conversation about making Oregon and the nation a better place.

About the hosts…

Jo Ann Bowman is a former Oregon state legislator, current executive director of Oregon Action and chair of Portland Community Media. Jo Ann is a long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice.

Dave Mazza is a journalist and community activist. The former editor of The Portland Alliance newspaper has reported on and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years. For more about Dave, visit www.davemazza.com.

Join the conversation…

Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

A new report by Portland State University states that for people of color, Multnomah County is a "uniquely toxic" place when it comes to education, income, home ownership and health. The 152-page report, which was presented last week to the Portland City Council, found nearly every racial and ethnic group to be trailing behind other county residents. In a worsening economic climate, how do we break down the barriers keeping the fastest growing sector in Multnomah County's population from full economic, social and political participation in the community?

This week, Jo Ann talks with Assistant Professor Ann Curry-Stevens, the lead researcher for the report on her findings and on what the coalition behind the report is advocating to address what the report calls an "unsettling situation."

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a freelance journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years.

Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and discussion of issues important to you. Support programming like Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann Bowman and Dave Mazza every Thursday morning as they bring you informative guests and lively discussions about the issues that are important to you and your community. Every week, Voices from the Edge provides KBOO listeners a place to engage in meaningful talk about racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice, local and national politics, and other crucial issues of the day. Jo Ann and Dave bring you guests you won’t hear on other talk radio programs and conversation about making Oregon and the nation a better place.

About the hosts…

Jo Ann Bowman is a former Oregon state legislator, current executive director of Oregon Action and chair of Portland Community Media. Jo Ann is a long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice.

Dave Mazza is a journalist and community activist. The former editor of The Portland Alliance newspaper has reported on and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years. For more about Dave, visit www.davemazza.com.

Join the conversation…

Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

Clergy Abuse: Can we hold the abusers accountable and heal the community?

Revelations earlier this month implicating Pope Benedict XVI in cover-ups of clergy abuse in Europe are just the latest developments in an issue that is rocking religious institutions to their foundations. It is dividing communities into those accused of blind faith and those labeled anti-church, while preventing reformers, clergy abuse survivors, and the faithful from moving forward. How can we shift the debate to address the underlying issues creating clergy abuse? How do we hold abusers accountable and heal the community?

This week on Voices from the Edge, Jo Ann and Dave talk with two people deeply involved in the answering those questions. Virginia Jones is co-founder of Compassionate Gathering, a Portland-based organization promoting restorative justice and other strategies for addressing clergy abuse that bring the whole community into the process. Dr. Jaime Romo is a clergy abuse survivor, educator, consultant and author who has worked for over a decade helping other clergy abuse survivors. He is the author of Healing the Sexualy Abused Heart: A Workbook for Survivors, Thrivers and Supporters and the blog "Healing and Spirituality."

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazzais a freelance journalist and former editor of the Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movemenets for 20 years.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and discussion of issues important to you. Support programming like Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today.

On Earth Day, much attention will be paid to the long struggle to protect and preserve our ancient forests, wild salmon and pristine coastline. Less notice will be given to the fact that Oregon's least empowered communities are also the most affected by environmental degradation.

Hosts Jo Ann and Dave will talk with OPAL (Organizing People-Activiting Leaders) Environmental Justice about their work in east Multnomah County to educate, engage and empower people of color and low income families in building environmental justice at the local, state and federal levels. Guests include OPAL co-director Joseph Santos-Lyons and community organizer Shannon Olive, who will talk about the organization's efforts to ensure Portland's commitment to sustainability is applied equally to all its residents, as well as OPAL's Transit Justice and Health Campaign.

It is hard to imagine spending over 17 years on death row for a crime you did not commit. Juan Melendez-Colon did just that following his 1984 conviction and sentencing to death in the killing of Auburndale, FL beauty salon owner Delbert Baker. The facts of his case - involving recanting witnesses, withheld evidence, and a real killer who confessed to several people - raise once again the need for Americans to ask themselves whether real justice is served by capital punishment in a system so fraught with error.

This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Juan Melendez-Colon about his experiences on Florida's death row and his subsequent work with Witness to Innocence, the nation's only organization composed of, by and for exonerated death row survivors and their loved ones. Also joining the conversation will be attorney Mark Kramer to talk about Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and why he thinks change may be in the wind for Oregon's death penalty.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann Bowman and Dave Mazza every Thursday as they bring you guests and lively discussion of issues of importance to you. Every week, Voices from the Edge provides Oregonians with a place to talk about racial disparity, police accountability, gentrification, environmental justice, peace and other issues affecting your life.

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has reported and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for over 17 years.

In world where we struggle with wars, injustice, violence in our communities and the threat of environmental devastation...what does peace mean to you. That was the question 186 students from around Oregon answered as part of the Greenfield Peace Writing Contest for Oregon High School Students. Sponsored by Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. Entries, coming from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, reflect not just their deep concerns but the richness they bring to the struggle for peace and social justice.

This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with contest winners Tenzing Atsentsang, a Tibetan refugee whose aspirations go beyond a free Tibet to peace for all people, and Salam Hassan, whose view of the world and his place in it changed during a year spent in Palestine. Atsentsang, Hassan and third-place winner Tessa Kueller will receive cash prizes at an awards ceremony on April 10 that features journalist and author Dahr Jamail. Tickets to the dinner are for sale at Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann Bowman and Dave Mazza every Thursday as they bring you guests and lively discussion of issues of importance to you. Every week, Voices from the Edge provides Oregonians with a place to talk about racial disparity, police accountability, gentrification, environmental justice, peace and other issues affecting your life.

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has reported and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for over 17 years.

Join co-hosts Jo Ann Bowman and Dave Mazza every Thursday morning as they bring you informative guests and lively discussions about the issues that are important to you and your community. Every week, Voices from the Edge provides KBOO listeners a place to engage in meaningful talk about racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice, local and national politics, and other crucial issues of the day. Jo Ann and Dave bring you guests you won’t hear on other talk radio programs and conversation about making Oregon and the nation a better place.

About the hosts…

Jo Ann Bowman is a former Oregon state legislator, current executive director of Oregon Action and chair of Portland Community Media. Jo Ann is a long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice.

Dave Mazza is a journalist and community activist. The former editor of The Portland Alliance newspaper has reported on and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years. For more about Dave, visit www.davemazza.com.

Join the conversation…

Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

This fall, Portlanders will decide whether to continue their experiment with voter-owned elections. The question becomes more relevant in the wake of Citzens United vs. Federal Elections Commission, a recent Supreme Court ruling that removed bans on corporate campaign spending. This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Common Cause Oregon's Janice Thompson about the upcoming referendum on voter-owned elections and what else needs to be done to fix our ailing electoral process.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

Comments

I just wanted to post a link to an article about the foreclosure mills that make money off of the forsclosure mess. http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/07/david-stern-djsp-foreclosure-fannie-freddie?page=1

I did not hear an apology for you making a blatant distortion of my comment. I do not appreciate being lied about and especially by a campaign which you obviously are supporting which hypocritically poses as the moral arbitrator of the Universe regarding truth telling.

Again, let me clarify:

First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by you and your guest, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.

This distortion (lie) by your guest and you is sadly emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.

I will receive your apology before I ever again associate with you or this program.

Will again and please correct your slander of me and misstatement of my comment.

First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by JoAnn and your caller, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.

This distortion (lie) by your guest and JoAnn is emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.

It is a fact that Republicans involved in this are using this as an organizing tool. It is a fact that this campaign is making common-cause with anti-progressive forces.

It is this campaign that is the divisive force in our community.

This signature campaign is the darling of the right wing. This campaign is the best thing that has happened to the Multnomah Co. Republican Party since Theodore Roosevelt.

If this is about negative campaigning- WHY IS THIS SUCH A THOROUGLY NEGATIVE CAMPGAIGN. IT REDUCES POLITICAL DIALOG TO THE LEVEL OF A GRAMMER SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.

I agree, Peter. This article is germane: One outcome of Professor Gate’s arrest should be an understanding that “What lends legitimacy (to our legal system) is our belief that the police are dutiful servants of the people — not their arbitrary oppressors.”

The Declaration of Independence promptly asserts “… Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed.”

'Know Your Rights' training is imperative, as a 'check and balance' against unwarranted interference with the intent of the U.S. Constitution. An informed citizenry is a Public Good. Vigilance against abuse of power is actually a civic responsibility.

I know first-hand a tendency by Portland police to escalate situations that might be otherwise resolved. I have only an inkling of the mental pressures involved in policing, and but a dim suspicion as to the social handicaps that come with wielding weapons, spending so much time in the milieu of antisocial behavior, of having a community grant your uniformed subgroup status as The Enforcers. I would suspect such pressure, status and lethal equipment make it difficult to appreciate a role of Servant of the People.

Do you know what the common ground may be?

Law enforcement.

How can we change our dialogue so that a person of color, being thrown up against chain link fence – sometimes even without a pretext of wrongdoing – has standing when there is no probable cause that a crime is being committed?

By advocating that police actions adhere to Constitutional provisions for freedom from unwarranted search, to be secure in their possessions; would not this citizen also be involved in law enforcement?

One really ironic point I failed to make on the program is that, from the time of Chief Kroeker onward, it has likely been in the consciousness of Portland Police Bureau command that racial profiling actually inhibits criminal detection and prosecution. Simply the perception of police misconduct reduces the quality of public cooperation. One of the results of racial bias is that it is more difficult to secure leads and eventual witness testimony from a disenfranchised, victimized population of law-abiding citizens.

I suggest there will be a real reduction in crime (due to citizen cooperation) when and if policing is seen to be done lawfully. If it were a shared perception that people who oppose the immoral, unethical and illegal practice of racial profiling had merit as Constitutional law enforcers, I would think this a positive dynamic … and not just for people of color, but other negatively affected groups like the mentally ill, for whom self-advocacy is a supreme challenge.

Let us fuse training and dialogue. You mention the ‘well-trained cop.’ Perhaps ‘Know Your Rights’ training (and Oregon Action training includes de-escalation strategies) might dovetail with Portland Police Bureau training. What would be achieved if police training alerted officers that a segment of the population - fatigued by unconstitutional behavior - will be advocating for just and equitable treatment?

If that segment of the population included Police Commissioner Saltzman, Human Rights Commissioner Fritz, City Auditor Griffin-Valade and Mayor Adams, I think the Police union would find impetus to engage in negotiations for a means to weed out officers refusing to enforce the Constitution, state law, or bureau regulations.

To take up your point about police as public servants, the Auditor’s Independent Police Review Board is poised to actually adopt that frame of reference. Currently specializing in facts and figures, there is a component of their reporting primed and ready for public pressure to make this a prime frame of reference for assessing the Police Bureau’s functionality.

Perhaps better left for another blog, I just want you to know that civilian oversight of armed government activity is imperative as the nation pursues a War on Terror. If the City of Portland were to weigh in on fundamental human rights during the nation’s general expansion of police powers, it stands likely to do a Public Good that cannot now be calculated.

On this morning's (June 18) program Joann mentioned a man (I think she said "young" and "minority" )who is becomming active in environmental matters, I would like to talk with him about joining the planning and implementation of an event that is scheduled to take place on October 24th.

I am a member ot the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Multnomah Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), and the organizer of a sub-group called "Global Coolers". We meet monthly and have taken the responsibility of informing the Meeting about global warming and involving them in efforts to lessen our individual and collective destructive impact on the planet.We have also hosted a couple of community events over the past several years.
Yesterday I learned that Bill McKibben, who is a leading activist in the environmental protection movement, is organizing a world-wide demonstration to take place on October 24: it is described on 350.org.
I want to make sure that Portland participates in this event.
I have not talked yet to other environmental activists about involvement (there may already be plans afoot) but I will do so in the next couple of days. In any case I will welcome all participants in the planning and execution of the event. My telephone number is 503-292-1817.
Thank you for your attention.
Peace, Jim

I was disturbed to hear this morning information that leads me to think I did not check out the ballot measures carefully enough. As an intelligent conservative, I find it both important and difficult to listen to KBOO and other left-of-center sources regularly, and the comments this morning made it clear that I should invest more energy into that effort.

On the other hand, I was a bit amused (and relieved of my nascent guilt) when I heard you adamantly insist that Measure 53 passed by a 76-24 margin because a day-old paper said so. It is possible that the Oregonian was that far off the mark - if so, I would assume that it was an early edition which showed very preliminary results. I went to three sources this morning of which two gave vote tallies. KATU.com indicates that as of 8am today the vote on 53 was YES 475,838 and NO 473,912 which is a margin of less than 2000 votes out of nearly 1 million. Rounded to the nearest percent, the vote is 50-50. KOIN.com had very similar (probably identical) numbers.

So I figure that if you let your personal opinions cloud such simple and easily ascertained facts, if you are so closed-minded that you will not double-check this when it is disputed, I need not concern myself with your judgment on the more complex issue of Measure 53 itself.